2014-15 Injuries, Roster Moves, Etc. Mostly Injuries Though

[drownwithyou 217]

So Mantha already has a broken Tibia.

Helm with his broken nose.

Datsyuk has a separated shoulder and will miss 4-5 weeks. So that's marvelous. I'm sure Zetterberg's back will explode any day now.

[Motor City Sonics 1,296]

Datsyuk is injured again. Too bad there's no international tournament to heal him up nice and quick.

[drownwithyou 217]

They signed Joe Hicketts to a 3 year entry level deal today.

Detroit Red Wings Roster: Joe Hicketts Signed to Entry Level Contract - Winging It In Motown

Hicketts is the 5'8" 187-pound left shooting defenseman* out of Kamloops who escaped out of this year's draft untaken and then impressed at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament. Had he not been signed by the Wings, they would have had to have hoped to be able to snap him up in next year's draft. Corey Pronman had him ranked at 40th in his last pre-draft rankings, but thanks to a combination of his size and in not playing more than 40 games last season, he slipped through.

As Hicketts is 18 still, his contract will be eligible to slide for up to two years provided he doesn't play in 10 or more NHL games during either season. Considering where the Wings are at on defense right now, it's likely he'll spend both of those seasons in junior, but the scouting reports on him are very high and he'll be given an opportunity to push his way up the pecking order.

[drownwithyou 217]

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 13m13 minutes ago

All 26 players on Wings roster skating today including Tatar and Datsyuk, who's no longer wearing gray non-contact jersey.

Good sign, Datysuk may play Thursday.

Wings sent down Callahan and Ferraro who both cleared waivers today. Nestrasil who had a great preseason made the team (which goes to show the whoever plays best in preseason talk was true) as did Jurco. In an interview with Babcock when asked if Jurco would make the team he said if it were his decision he would for sure, makes me think he could be sending a message to the front office especially in his contract year. Unfortunately Cleary is still on the team, he who in 5 preseason games amassed 1 shot, while even getting power play time. He looks like he did last year. Rumor is that Cleary is getting the LTIR treatment which is the best that he deserves, although I'd be fine on waivers at this point.

In practice:

Datsyuk - Z - Abdelakder (gross)

Nyquist-Helm-Franzen

Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco

Miller-Glendening-Andersson

Cleary, Weiss and Nestrasil were wearing wore gray indicating that they are looking like scratches.

Kronwall-Ericsson

DeKeyser-Smith

Ouellet- Quincey

Lashoff-Kindl (go away both of you)

[lordstanley 745]

It's déjà vu all over again.

[drownwithyou 217]

Chuck Pleiness ‏@wingsfrontman 2m2 minutes ago

Datsyuk placed on IR, while Ouellet and Mrazek have been assigned to Grand Rapids. Nestrasil has made 23-man roster, for now.

It's a shame Lashoff and Kindl are on the team and Ouellet starts in the AHL.

[lordstanley 745]

Yeah, I like that Netrasil came out of nowhere to get a spot up front but Ouelett should be on the team. I don't really care which of Kindl or Lashoff are tossed - my preference would be Kindl - but just get one tossed.

It doesn't seem that Babcock and a Holland see eye to eye. Maybe that's a normal GM-coach dynamic and maybe both are comfortable with that, but it seems to be getting more and more obvious.

[drownwithyou 217]

Babcock in an interview today (I think Holland may have said the same thing in his own interview) is that he has one vote on roster decisions and Holland gets two. I think this explains the roster management and maybe why Babcock doesn't have an extension already.

If I were in charge I would put Lashoff on waivers to send down to the AHL since he is cheaper with less years on his deal (although I agree that Kindl should preferably be tossed), hoping that someone claimed him. Keep XO up. Put Cleary on LTIR.

[EppOnite 10]

To me the forward group looks deep but not very strong. I like the young guys but I don't think they are at the point yet to make a big impact, and I'm not sure if they will ever be more than nice support players to stars (which the Wings will be looking for).

A month ago I would have had Datsyuk and Alfie in the line-up, and figuring that there would be an injury, I had Mantha as the 1st guy called up.

I also was holding hope that Weiss would not continue to accomplish less out there than any player I have seen in some time. Apparently that has not changed and I agree with Babs after trying to focus in on some of Weiss' pre-season shifts. He looked the same as last year.

Now the Wings are starting game 1 without these guys who I was figuring to be impact guys. It just looks weak.

[EppOnite 10]

I hope they keep Smith and Dekeyser paired together. Smith was very good against Boston in the play-offs last year and it sounds like he continued that play into the pre-season.

With the new play-off format it's going to be a grind of a season for the Wings. Tampa and Boston look better and Montreal is right around the level of the Wings but should be able to stay more healthy (only a guess). That leaves the Wings out of the top 3 in the Atlantic and battling for a wild-card postiion starting Thursday against Boston.

[drownwithyou 217]

Well it is starting to feel like Babcock is gone after this season, I suspect Holland is going to promote Blashill:

Wings’ Babcock upset by Ouellet demotion | Windsor Star

“What did I say yesterday?” Babcock snapped when asked about the decision to ship defenceman Xavier Ouellet to AHL Grand Rapids. “You’re talking to the wrong guy. What’s next?”

Queried as to whether Ouellet would be in the Detroit lineup for Thursday’s regular-season opener against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena if it was solely his call, Babcock played it more coyly.

“Well, that’s a great question to have,” Babcock answered. “I don’t have to answer that one, though. I just said I’d ask the other guy and then I’ll support everything he’s decided.”

At Monday’s practice, Babcock deployed Ouellet in his third defensive pairing with Kyle Quincey. After the skate, Babcock stated that this season, the best players would play, regardless of whether they were youngsters or veterans.

Too keep Ouellet on the big club, the Wings would have been required to place either Jakub Kindl or Brian Lashoff on waivers to assign one of them to Grand Rapids.

Babcock suggested he’d been voted down when the decision came to send Ouellet back to the minor leagues.

“I got my two cents in, so I get one vote,” Babcock said. “He (Holland) gets two, so he can win, 2-1.

[Motor City Sonics 1,296]

Yeah, I like that Netrasil came out of nowhere to get a spot up front but Ouelett should be on the team. I don't really care which of Kindl or Lashoff are tossed - my preference would be Kindl - but just get one tossed.

It doesn't seem that Babcock and a Holland see eye to eye. Maybe that's a normal GM-coach dynamic and maybe both are comfortable with that, but it seems to be getting more and more obvious.

Someone's gonna get hurt soon enough.

This is the year the playoff streak ends.

[Fred Merkle 10]

This is the year the playoff streak ends.

Um, no.

Babs seems genuinely committed to developing our ample youthful talent. Babcock is very good (when not sulking) with young players. IF (granted - a BIG if!) the injury bug doesn't decimate us, we'll be in the playoffs yet again - IF our goaltending can cover for most of the youthful errors that WILL happen.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Mr. I finally gets exasperated with Holland's inane meddling & tells him in no uncertain terms to "sit down & shut up."

[Motor City Sonics 1,296]

Um, no.

Babs seems genuinely committed to developing our ample youthful talent. Babcock is very good (when not sulking) with young players. IF (granted - a BIG if!) the injury bug doesn't decimate us, we'll be in the playoffs yet again - IF our goaltending can cover for most of the youthful errors that WILL happen.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Mr. I finally gets exasperated with Holland's inane meddling & tells him in no uncertain terms to "sit down & shut up."

The top stars on this team have had a lot of injuries the last few years. I don't think we'll get more than 60 games out of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Kronwall is always a concern. I like the young players and I think this team will be down this year but really start getting in a groove in the following years with Mantha coming into his own -- a lot of really good young defensemen will be up (Ouellet, Marchenko, Jensen and Sproul are going to be really good). But this is the year they bottom out. They'll still have a winning record and be battling for a playoffs spot right to the end, but I think the streak is in jeopardy this year.

I am not happy about Ouellet not being up from the start. He looked really good in the preseason, I think he's ready.....to keep him down worrying about Brian Lashoff getting cut is just silly and it's a repeat of Nyquist from last year not starting with the team.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Motor City Sonics

[lordstanley 745]

The Wings 2-year honeymoon of fans being satisfied with just squeaking into the playoffs with kids is over. They need to move forward this year. Anything less than a top 3 finish in the division and a playoff series win must be considered a disappointment. Last June I would have confidently predicted the Wings would achieve both. Given the lack of defense signings, Weiss not providing any comfort that he is poised for a bounceback, and a bit of a rocky start at the team staying healthy, I am now not so sure.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk need to combine to play at least 120 games, Nyquist needs to at least score the same number of goals in 82 games as he did in 50 last year, Smith needs to take that step up, the Howard of 2013 must return and the team must split OT decisions & shootouts.

[Mr.TaterSalad 540]

Um, no.

Babs seems genuinely committed to developing our ample youthful talent. Babcock is very good (when not sulking) with young players. IF (granted - a BIG if!) the injury bug doesn't decimate us, we'll be in the playoffs yet again - IF our goaltending can cover for most of the youthful errors that WILL happen.

It doesn't matter what Babcock wants. It only matters what our sycophant GM Kenny Holland wants. Holland gets what he wants. If he wants Jurco and Ouellet down in the minors then they'll be there and there is nothing Babcock can do about it. I have been listening to Babcock's comments to the media lately, including today in an interview on 105.1 with Matt Dery, and it is clear to me that he does now and has always wanted to play the young guys. It is also clear that it is Kenny who is trying to live off the past and field a group of rehashed veteran players. Ouellet is already going to miss the opening day roster. When Kenny brings back Alfie and refuses to cut Cleary, we'll see Jurco down in the minors too.

[drownwithyou 217]

Good article on the Wings prospects and where they are this season:

Getting To Know The Wings Prospects: Around The World Edition - Winging It In Motown